George Orwell s Dystopian Classic, 1984 - 1878 Words

A central concept in George Orwell’s dystopian classic, 1984, was the memory hole; a censoring garbage chute in which all documents deemed unacceptable, inconvenient, or even embarrassing by Big Brother went down to be destroyed. The people in power were able to control the past, present, and future using the memory hole to create a history as they wished it to be. Although this novel was fictional, the reality of 1984 is not too far from our own. Orwell’s central quote of the novel was â€Å"Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past (Zinn 479). The notable quote holds wisdom and a message of exercising caution when it comes to history. Dominant ideologies and widely-accepted views of history have had calamitous consequences when gone unchallenged by society. Marchak examines who creates and governs the dominant ideology in society, as they are the ones ‘who control the present’. As the dominant ideology grows in a community, it makes it harder to challenge it. Free thought is continually celebrated and fought for in first world countries such as ours, but counter-ideologies are suppressed when inconvenient for those in control of the present. Zinn illustrates this oppression in his piece about the native and the colonialist perspective of Columbus’ story. The colonialist of today continue to provide Christopher Columbus with delusions of self-grandeur, and conveniently exclude the Native’s side of the story. However this is not theShow MoreRelated1984 vs Today Essay857 Words   |  4 Pages1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to mo nitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s condition seems to be moving towardsRead MoreAnalysis Of Annabel s Annabel 1696 Words   |  7 Pagestwohikers.org/Gear/krakauer_review.htm Roger Jenkins begins his book review by remarking on how Jon Krakauer s, Into Thin Air, is one of the authors best-selling books. The book starts off with two teams of clients paying a great sum of money to be guided to the summit of the mountains highest point but many are killed by unsuspecting storms along the way. Roger Jenkins credits Jon Krakauer s ability to write the book not only because he survived the very real situation but also because he had theRead MoreCensorship in 1984 by George Orwell1321 Words   |  6 Pagescourage, or integrity. You will be hollow. We shall squeeze you empty and then we shall fill you with ourselves. In 1984 the Party uses various tactics to manipulate the inhabitants of Oceania as well as those of Nazi Germany. A common form of control in both the Party and the Nazi empire was the use of children for fulfilling the will of their respective government. In Orwell’s novel 1984 Winston claims that, â€Å"It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. AndRead More1984 By George Orwell Should Not Be Banned1928 Words   |  8 PagesDuring Joseph Stalin’s regime of the Soviet Union, 1984, the Classic Dystopian novel by George Orwell, was burned and banned, because the book shone a negative light on communism. The book, 1984, follows the life of Winston Smith, who lives in a country called Oceania. Oceania is a totalitarian society, ruled by a government known as The Party, whose leader is called Big Brother. In Oceania, every movement and sound every person makes is constantly surveillanced, and one wrong facial expression,Read More1984 Manipulation Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Orwell, the author of the classic novel 1984, presents scheming and manipulation as the norm in the State of Oceania. Modern day dystopia can be represented in religion as some worship things such as money over their God. Also, smartphones have become a n obsession in modern day society. According to Tim Elmore, author of the article Nomophobia: A Rising Trend in Students, approximately 66% of people sleep with their phone in their bed which shows how attached individuals are to their electronicsRead MoreAn Operatic Retelling Of Orwell s Dystopian Masterpiece2095 Words   |  9 Pages 1984: An Operatic retelling of Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece. Kirstie Wooten Shepherd University Abstract This research looks at the Operatic work 1984 based on the 1949 George Orwell novel of the same name. The research centers on the synopsis of the story, inspirations of both author and composer, performers in the opera, as well as its premiere and review. 1984: An Operatic Retelling of Orwell’s Dystopian Masterpiece. As the history of Opera has progressedRead MoreOrwell s Animal Farm As A Critique Of Bourgeoisie- Proletariat Relation And How Tyranny Operates1475 Words   |  6 PagesDystopian Fiction and Marxist Connection: George Orwell’s Animal Farm as a critique of Bourgeoisie- Proletariat Relation and How Tyranny Operates Literature is said to be the mirror of a society and one of the major functions of it has been to make people aware of their surroundings as well as themselves. While many writers of today might digress from the true purpose of writing, the classics have always held a special place in what may be called as the awakening of the individuals. In this contextRead MoreAnalysis Of Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 Essay2089 Words   |  9 PagesThe analysis of Ray Bradbury s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, shows that literature as books, education and alike is abused and criminalized in the hero’s reality, who is Guy Montag. The novel’s setting is when new things seem to have totally replaced literature, fire fighters set flames instead of putting them out, the ownership of books is deserving of the law and to restrict the standard is to court demise. The oppression of literature through innovation and technology can be analyzed throughRead MoreThe 1984 Adaptation Of George O rwells 19842072 Words   |  9 PagesCensorship in 1984 In the 1984 adaptation of George Orwell’s classic, Nineteen Eighty-Four, the director, Michael Radford, plays on the ideas of censorship and control of all citizens. As one of the biggest themes that is presented in the film, the Inner Party makes it their mission to stop all citizens of â€Å"free thinking†. Citizens are not allowed to think poorly of the government, nor are they allowed to think impure thoughts. Those who try to condemn the government, and those that question theRead MoreHeavens Gate: A Colossal Failure Essay1219 Words   |  5 Pagesbrings to mind George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, in which the â€Å"anti-sex league† (Orwell 121) is fully against sexual activity in the pursuit of pleasure. In Orwell’s novel, the people of the society are only to have male-female partnerships to reproduce; some even choose to forgo these relationships all together. Also like the members of Heaven’s Gate, the citizens in Anthem by Ayn Rand cannot interact with the opposite sex nor have any real thoughts of their own. These dystopian societies are